Avenging Jordie
by 1221bookworm
Summary: Kaz reveals to Inej how Jordie died and inspires Inej to continue to hunt Rollins. Set at the end of Crooked Kingdom.


**_A/N: After finishing Pekka Rollins chapter at the end of Crooked Kingdom, I wondered how this conversation might go down. Someone on Tumblr said that Inej was going to carve Jordie's name on Rollins' chest, and that was the inspiration for this. Enjoy!_**

 ** _A/N 2: I don't own Six of Crows or anything else about it. If I did, then maybe Kaz would stop changing his mind every time I tried to write was he was thinking!_**

 **Kaz**

Inej's step was quiet on the window sill, but Kaz looked up in time to see her slide through, giving him a quick smile before turning back to close the window.

Kaz closed the ledger he had been reviewing. It was the first time Inej had come to the Slat since she had collected her belongings.

She sat down on his bed, her feet swinging, watching their movement. The silence was heavy, but Kaz wouldn't break it.

"I sail for Ravka tomorrow." That was something Kaz had known for weeks now. He had done everything in his power to help her prepare, calling in favors to ensure she had the best of everything. If he could have his way, she would said with a Tidemaker to ensure a safe trip. But Inej had refused, insisting it was an unnecessary precaution and expense. Kaz couldn't say he blamed her for it. She had put together a crew, but adding a stranger would make her task harder.

"The weather should be good." _Of course she'd know that, or she wouldn't' be sailing out_.

"My parents are coming. We'll meet up with my uncle, and then I'll go back to sea. I'm going to start at the coast where I was taken. It's still a popular hideout for slavers. They'll also be close to home so I can help return them to their families."

"What will you do with the slavers?"

"Turn them over to the authorities in Ravka to deal with." Inej shuddered. "I don't want to be responsible for keeping prisoners. Besides, we'll have a small crew so we can sail light. We won't have anyone to guard them."

"Will you engage in sea battles?"

"No. Spect says we should get a few voyages under our belts before we start fighting over open water. It will give us time to learn to work together as a crew."

"Smart." Kaz nodded his head in agreement. "Maybe you could work with Wylan to come up with explosives that will incapacitate the crew without destroying the ship. You don't want to risk the lives of any slaves they may be carrying."

"Jesper and Wylan have started working on rifles or something that can be loaded with things besides bullets. Like a handheld cannon or a noxious gas launcher."

"That's a good combination of their talents. I'll check in on their progress. See if I can get you a working model before you return."

Inej smiled. "Don't rush them, or I'll come back to find Wylan has no eyebrows and Jesper's knocked his eye out."

Kaz shrugged. "Only if they were careless."

Inej laughed and Kaz forced himself to memorize the sound, wondering when he would hear it again. He stood up from his desk, pulling his gloves off and leaving them on the untidy stack of papers before moving to sit next to Inej.

"How long do you plan to be gone?"

"Several months. It depends on how much trouble we run into. We plan on spending the winter in Ketterdam, so it can't be too long."

"What will your crew do with all that free time on their hands?"

Inej shrugged, her shoulder barely brushing his. "Probably pour all their wages into the coffers of some business or other. I'll point them toward the Crow Club or any other establishments you have open by then."

"If they are so obliging as to pour all their wages into Dregs operations, I'll personally guarantee a financial backing for your next mission, ensuring they have payroll enough to spend again."

"What a twisted plan." Inej game him a smile that was part humor and part exasperation. "That sounds a bit like money laundering to me."

"Just good business practice to keep the good customer's loyal."

"You could come along you know." She slipped her hand into his, her fingers warm and soft against the back of his hand. "Not necessarily this time," she added quickly. "Maybe the next one, or the time after that."

Kaz couldn't deny a certain longing to follow her. He knew they made an excellent team, and he didn't doubt her mission couldn't be improved with a schemer of his abilities on board.

"My work is with the Dregs. We're going to fill the void left by Rollins and come out stronger for it."

The bitterness had crept back into his voice as soon as he mentioned Pekka Rollins name, and he saw in Inej's eyes that she had heard and recognized it.

She turned his hand over so it was sitting on her knee, and began carefully tracing the lines in his palm with her fingertips. Kaz suppressed a shudder. The gentleness of her touch helped to ease some of the sickness roiling in his gut.

"Tell me how Jordie died." Her face was still turned toward his hand in her lap, but her voice was gentle, soothing. Inviting.

Kaz leaned closer until their shoulders touched. Layers of clothing kept the nausea away, but he could feel the warmth radiating from her body and he took courage from it. It wouldn't bring Jordie back, but maybe it was time another living soul knew just Pekka Rollins was capable of.

"He died of the Queen's Lady Plague." He felt rather than saw Inej's reaction. She didn't understand how Rollins could be responsible for one death during a plague that had killed thousands. Suddenly, Kaz had a burning desire for Inej to know everything. Not just how Rollins had killed Jordie's body, but how he had killed the boy Jordie had been. The boy Kaz had been.

He placed his free hand on top of hers, stilling her fingers, forcing her to look up at him. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat before continuing.

"Rollins was running a scam. We weren't the only victims, but Jordie was an easy mark. Rollins was selling stakes in shipping, and gave Jordie his first taste. Small at first, each payout bigger than the last. Jordie would put more and more in every time."

"Just like gambling," Inej whispered.

Kaz shook his head. "Every mark who walks into a gambling parlor knows exactly what he's in for. He knows the house is betting against him. This was a set up to appear respectable." Kaz thought of the coffee shop, and the long evenings at home, with Mrs. Hertzoom playing the piano, and his voice turned bitter. "He went all out. Had us over for dinner with his fake family. Practically adopted us. Then, after he had Jordie's trust, he played his final card. The investment to top all investments. Jordie signed over every last penny we had, hoping it would put an end to all our money troubles. His signature wasn't even dry before Rollins disappeared."

Kaz stopped to lick his lips. He hadn't spoken Jordie's name so many times since his death. Kaz had to admit a certain release in telling Inej. Now Jordie's memory wouldn't die with him.

"How old were you, Kaz?" Inej's voice was soft, drifting into his memories.

"Jordie was thirteen. I was nine."

Inej shook her head sadly. "Oh, Kaz. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not looking for pity." He stood abruptly, unable to stand the feel of Inej's hand as the press of bodies in his mind threatened to bury him alive.

He hoped Inej would decide to leave him alone. Instead, she stayed, sitting silently for a long time.

"What will change when he remembers Jordie's name?" The words were so soft, Kaz could have pretended he didn't hear. But Inej deserved an answer.

"Nothing. Jordie will still be dead and Rollins will be very much alive. But I promised Jordie I'd avenge his death. And make Rollins pay. There needs to be a reckoning."

"Promised Jordie or yourself?"

Kaz spun to face her. "Jordie," he growled. "You pray to your saints even though they are all dead – why can't I make a promise to my dead brother?"

"You can." Inej ignored the commentaries on her faith. "As long as you feel that that's what Jordie would have wanted."

Kaz started at her, taken aback. _How dare she presume to know what Jordie would have wanted?_ He took a deep breath. "How else can I make Rollins pay for sending two boys to die on the reaper's barge with no one to shed a tear for them?" Inej's mouth formed the words _two boys?_ But Kaz barely noticed. "He killed both of us, Inej. Kaz Brekker _is_ a true bastard from the Barrel."

"You reinvented yourself to survive."

Did she have to be so infuriating with her calm words? "I renamed myself and became the only thing that survives the Barrel. A monster."

"You broker info and create opportunity. That doesn't sound too monstrous to me."

Kaz let out a harsh laugh, fingers running through his hair. "I'm sure that's how Rollins convinces himself to sleep at night."

"Rollins will continue to pay for what he's done to you, Kaz, and everyone else he's hurt. I'm still relying on you to make it impossible to sell slaves anywhere in Ketterdam."

Kaz nodded once in acknowledgement of his promise of help. It would give him something to do in the long months she was away.

Inej moved to go, but Kaz turned to face her. "Stay. _Please_ ," he added, with a desperate edge he despised hearing in his voice. "I didn't finish." He didn't look to see if she did, trusting her to have his back as she always did. "I didn't tell you how I survived when Jordie didn't."

It was slow going. Words couldn't begin to convey the horror he had felt waking on the reaper's barge, or the shame of his makeshift float to drag himself back to the land of the living.

Inej was a quiet audience. She didn't gasp or prod. She didn't speak until it was clear he would say no more.

"Oh, Kaz." She moved over to him, reaching to cup his cheek, thinking better of it, and placing it on his shoulder instead. She closed her eyes and drew in a breath. Kaz could see she was praying, but for one he felt too drained to tell her he didn't want her prayers.

They stood like that for a long time, until Kaz felt he could trust his voice again.

"No you know." He turned away from her and moved stiffly to his desk, occupying his hands with straightening the papers, his mind still too distracted to focus.

"Kaz." He'd known she was still in the room, her presence keeping him tied to the here and now and not kicking his way through dark waters. He hadn't expected to look up and see the intensity of her gaze, or the new purpose that was squaring her shoulders. "Rollins will continue to pay. I'll tell Specht to change our course. We'll go past his country house and – "

Kaz was already shaking his head. "Not now. It's too soon. He'll expect something. Give him time to let down his guard. Start to get sloppy. Then we can strike."

Pursing her lips, Inej nodded her understanding. "That will give us more time to plan."

"Agreed."

Kaz inhaled shakily. A small, growing part of him was nearly giddy with the knowledge that Inej was still on his side, would continue to fight for him. She hadn't been scared away, and he wouldn't lose her to the allure of the open sea. She would be back.

"Will you come to the docks tomorrow to see us off?" She had moved quietly across the room, and was standing at his side again.

"Wouldn't miss it."

"Good. We sail at dawn. Wylan says you're invited to dinner if you want to come. Jesper wants to make a party out of it, but I'm trying to deter him or we won't sail 'till noon."

Kaz smirked at that. "I'll see what I can do."

"See you later than." She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned up, and planted a quick, soft kiss to his cheek. Then she was gone.

Kaz sank slowly into his chair, his hand rising to brush his cheek where he could still feel the warmth of her breath.

Staring sightlessly at his papers, he could feel her touch tingling through his entire body. Instead of a surge of sickness, he felt it burning its way into his very soul, filling him with the knowledge that he was no longer alone.

Shaking himself, he straightened. Mentally, he reviewed his responsibilities for the evening, and decided that he could, in fact, spare an hour or two to visit with the people Inej called family. Kaz wasn't quite sure he fit the definition, but her touch left him with the desire that one day he would.

Vision clear, he returned to his ledgers, making quick work of the tallies. It wasn't until there was a knock on his door that he remembered to pick up his gloves and put them back on.

Dirtyhands had a reputation to uphold.


End file.
